Vikings' Ponder (elbow) limited in practice

Summary of 6 articles · Updated Jan 3, 2013

The Vikings released their first injury report for the week on Wednesday and starting quarterback Christian Ponder popped up as limited with an elbow injury. Vikings QB Christian Ponder was a limited participant in the Vikings’ practice on Wednesday becau… (more)se of a right elbow bruise he sustained when Packers safety Morgan Burnett hit him on a blitz Sunday. Ponder was injured Sunday when his elbow hit a Packers helmet on the follow-through. So what happened? Other than the vagaries of pro sports, how do we explain the difference in Ponder's performances? Ponder surely deserves credit for getting himself under control after the Lambeau Field disaster. But what role, if any, did the Packers play in Ponder's success particularly as a passer in last Sunday's game? I asked John McTigue of ESPN Stats & Information to help answer that question. The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers have essentially wrapped up their practice weeks in advance of Saturday night's wild-card playoff at Lambeau Field. “But just the fact that he’s calling the team up, it’s just him physically getting everybody going like ‘Alright, let’s get ready to play!’ … To see him in the center and him being the dominant voice of that whole team huddle sends a message that ‘OK, he’s ready to go.’”

Vikings-Packers III: Thursday health report

The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers have essentially wrapped up their practice weeks in advance of Saturday night's wild-card playoff at Lambeau Field. There is a relatively short list of significant injuries in play this week, and by far the mo…

The words in Christian Ponder's pre-game speeches don't matter

Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen said Wednesday he's seen growth in his quarterback as a vocal leader in the last month. But what Ponder says before games matters less than the fact that he's talking to begin with.

Vikings-Packers III: Blitzing Ponder

Christian Ponder played the worst game of his career in a Week 13 loss to the Green Bay Packers. His Total Quarterback Rating (QBR) was 3.1 on a scale of 0-100. Four weeks later, Ponder played arguably his best game in the Minnesota Vikings' 37-34 victo…